Buggy-top-prop attachment.



No. 847,951. PA 'TENTED MAR. 19, I907 G. L'AKE. v v BUGGY TOP PROP ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1906.

lA/VEA/TGI? GoLLADAv LAKE Arron/V528 NIrEp STATES PAqiENr oEEIoE.

GOLLADAY IJAKE, or MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO H. B. BARBER, or GRENADA, MISSISSIPPI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 190 7.

Application filed February 10,1906. Serial No. 300,439.

To all, w/tom. may concern:

Be it known that I, GoLLADAY LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mem phis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buggy-Top-Prop Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in attachments for top-props for buggies, its object being to provide a device for receiving and holding the bow of a folding buggy-top and take up the jar and jolting usually received by said bow of buggies when the top is lowered.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a buggy bed and seat, showing my improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing carriagebow supported by my device. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section showing manner of application to a top-prop stud. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section as applied to top-prop stud. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring member detached from its supporting-sleeve. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the attaching sleeve or cuff.

As usually constructed the top-props of buggies consists of a mere projecting stud covered with leather or other covering to prevent wear upon the bows, but furnishing no resilient support for the top.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bed of a buggy and seat; 2, the top; 3, the bows; 4, their common pivot-stud; 5, the locking-braces, and 6 the top-prop stud. This stud in my invention is to be made preferably square in cross-section and has a reduced threaded end 6 7 is a cuff or sleeve of suitable material to be slipped over the stud 6. Said sleeve has about one-half of its inner surface provided with longitudinal grooves 8, extending entirely through said sleeve from end to end, forming a series of teeth or cogs 9. These teeth of cogs occupy, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper half of the sleeve.

10 is a groove in the upper outer surface of the sleeve, said groove terminating at one end in a socket 11. Within said groove'lO is fitted one end of a steel spring 12, the eX- treme end of said spring being bent down to fit in the socket l1.

13 is a screw passing through the spring 12 into the sleeve to retain the spring in place. Said spring is curved round under the sleeve and then upwardly to the rear of the top prop and terminates in a forked flared end 14. Said forked flared end is enlarged and the curved floor of the same is covered with a facing or lining of rubber. The two side flanges of the fork are provided with slots 15, through which a strap 16 is to be passed. The lower portion of the sleeve is provided with two threaded openings 17 to receive the set-screws 18 to clamp the sleeve to the stud.

19 is a threaded washer to screw on the threaded end of the stud to close the outer open end of the sleeve and prevent axial motion of the same, or a plain leather or rubber washer of equal circumference may be used instead.

To apply my device, the sleeve with its attached spring is slipped on the stud in the position desired and the threaded washer 19 is then screwed on the reduced threaded end of the stud. The attachment is now ready for use. When the top of the buggy is lowered, the bow will rest in the flared forked end of the spring. The strap is now passed through the slots 15 in the flanges of the fork and buckled, thus preventing the bow from jumping out of the forked end of the spring.

The spring is to be made of'tempered steel and the cuff or sleeve out of various metals to suit. Said spring may be made round or square, and the cuff or sleeve may be made round or square, as desired. By the use of the cogs or teeth the sleeve may be given a great variety of adjustments, so that the top may be entirely lowered, or only partially so.

It will thus be seen that I provide a simple, cheap, and eflicient means whereby the jolting motion of the vehicle will be absorbed by the spring and wear and tear on the buggy-top and bows be reduced to a minimum. My improvement can be quickly and easily applied and removed from the top.- prop and can be applied to any ordinary top buggy. It will also be noted that should any of the parts become broken or wear out they can be readily renewed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. The combination With the top-prop of a buggy or other vehicle, of a sleeve mounted on said prop, the inner surface of said sleeve provided with cogs or teeth engaging sai d topprop, and a curved spring secured at one end to said sleeve and projecting into the path of the top-bows and forming a resilient support for said bows.

2. The combination with the top-prop of a buggy or other vehicle, of a sleeve mounted on said prop, said sleeve having on its inner face a series of longitudinal cogs or teeth engaging said top-prop, and a curved spring secured at one end to said sleeve and extending around and to the rear of said sleeve, the free end of said spring being forked, the forks having slots therein to receive a strap, and means for clamping the sleeve to the top-prop.

3. A top-support for buggies or other vehicles, consisting of a sleeve adapted to be slipped over the top-prop stud, said sleeve having its inner surface provided with a series of longitudinal cogs or teeth, a curved spring secured at one end to the sleeve and extending around and to the rear of the sleeve, the free end of said springs adapted to receive and support resiliently the bows of a buggytop.

4.. A top-support for buggies or other vehicles, consisting of a sleeve adapted to be slipped over the top-prop stud, said sleeve having a transverse groove in its outer surface and a socket at the end of said groove, a curved spring fitted in said groove and having a bent end seated in said socket, said spring extending around and to the rear of the sleeve, and means for detachably securing said. sleeve to the said top-prop stud.

GOLLADAY LAKE.

Witnesses H. B. BARBER, I RoBT. CRAWFORD, J. P.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No. 847,951, granted March 19, 1907, upon the application of Golladay Lake, of Memphis, Tennessee, for an improvement in Buggy-Top-Prop Attachments, was erroneously written and printed H. B. Barber, whereas said name should have been written and printed Mrs. H. B. Barbee; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the. record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this. 9th day of April, A. D., 1907.

[SEAL] E. B. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

